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June 6, 2010

G58: Orioles 4, Red Sox 3 (11)

LOB-otomy: the Red Sox left the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh innings. Kevin Youkilis was HBP to start the 10th, but did not move past first base. Boston had a runner on second with one out in the 11th, but Marco Scutaro and Dustin Pedroia could not get him home (or even to third).

Lackey (7-7-2-3-2, 124) did not have a clean inning all afternoon, but his only real rough patch came in the second. He gave up a two-out single in the third, a one-out single in the fourth (followed by a GIDP), a two-out walk in the fifth, and a one-out single in the sixth. Nothing very serious.

An infield error put Baltimore's leadoff batter in the seventh on first and he was quickly bunted to second. Lackey got a pop-up and, after a six-pitch walk (which included, to my eyes, five strikes), a force play to end the threat.

Hideki Okajima began his second inning of work in the 11th. Cesar Izturis walked and was bunted to second. Miguel Tejada was walked intentionally. Nick Markakis singled to left center and Mike Cameron's throw, cut off and relayed to the plate by Pedroia, was too late.

Lackey and Matusz faced each other on April 24. Jonathan Papelbon had a very rocky ninth inning, but Boston won 7-6. Lackey also started against the Orioles on April 30. He has allowed three runs in seven innings both times.

Baltimore (15-41) has lost 10 games in a row, and are on pace to finish the year with only 43 wins.

In this morning's Globe, Nick Cafardo reveals that he now understands being 8.5 games out with 117 games left to play does not equal mathematical elimination. There is, of course, no guarantee that he will retain that knowledge in 2011 or any other future season.

I didn't hear the announcer. But he's mentioning how the quality of Lackey's pitching doesn't match his record. Doesn't that point to a clearer view of statistics? Should all baseball press be calling for a ban on mentioning pitchers' W-L record?

Zen, it could be partly the way I hear it, from annoyance at people's emphasis on W/L records. I know so many baseball fans who will say a pitcher doesn't deserve a Cy Young b/c he only won x number of games, or talk up some pitcher as the next Sandy Koufax because he won x number of games, and so on. I assume they get it from the mainstream sports media.

fielding is still way behind. very rarely do you hear someone say "well, you can't make an error on a ball you can't get to, so if you have no range ...".

in random emails over the years with boston media people, i get the feeling that the writers are more up on these things, but do not take the opportunity to educate their readers. not sure why -- i think it would work well.

not so clear on how progressive tv guys might be off the air.

i know remy spent a couple of games making fun of UZR (last year?), tossing in FIDC and CIA or whatever else he thought of. it was a bit cringe-worthy, as he was proudly proclaiming his ignorance and closed mind.

There has been some progress, I agree. I also think that most people working in the mainstream sports media do not see their job as educational or progressive (in the sense of making change, moving things forward). They learned about the game a certain way and pass it along that way, for the most part.

mmmmmNt how I planned on spending my Sunday. Just now getting in from the LL complex. Had planned on being home by noon, but no one else showed up this morning and I got to fully prep 2 fields for games, drag the other 2 for All Star practices, work 2 pitcher's mounds, and empty about 15 50-gallon trash drums that were mostly overflowing from the games all day yesterday.Ya-fucking-hoo.At least it's an interesting game to come home to, although I really should head out int my own damn yard now and do some work there.Maybe not.And I concur - FUCK Poland Springs, Aquafina, Dasani, et al.

I bussed tables at the old Poland Springs House in the summer of 1963--back when the only way to get Poland Springs Water was in heavy green quart bottles right from the spring Hiram Ricker found, just down the hill from the hotel.

After a long shift in and out of a hot kitchen in the pre-AC era, nothing was better than grabbing and chugging one of those 32 ouncers.

JGF - yeah, I can see the attraction of that for sure.But that's a far cry from the over-marketed market saturation that occurs today with what amounts to glorified tap water. It is imo one of the bigger scams being pulled on the public today

Not to even mention the environmental consequences of convincing so many people that it's better to garb a plastic bottle, use it once, and trash it than it is to get a washable glass out of your cupboard and use it

I wish I didn't need storebought water. We have great water in San Francisco but our building sucks and it comes out noticably metallic. Fine for bathing and washing, but not drinking. I get big 2.5 gallon things that hopefully were not shipped across the country.

Zen, have you tried the Brita filters, or something similar? I have one of the pitchers and it does make the water taste better.I do understand that there are issues with the water supplies in a lot of areas. But all those bottles - uch.

And now I'm seeing images on TV of dead tar-covered dolphins and seagulls washing up ashore down south.Turns my stomach

Damn Gameday has put one of these ad widgets in the corner that enlarges every time you roll over any part of the ad. Frustrating as hell. If you pop back and forth to the box score and stats chart like I do it's almost impossible to stay away from.Very frustrating

I'm in the same boat L.Been waiting ton go mow since I got home.But I have to now.It's been 2 weeks, and 3 since the damn back yard has been done. It reall looks bad and I know I'm at practices tomorrow and Tuesday evening, and a game on Wednesday. Plus it looks like a storm is brewing, so......win in my absence plz.

A couple of questions - was that a DP on Delcarmen's only out. The big screen showed one out but then cut away with the second? Whatever with MdC - can't afford to throw so many balls.

Lackey did the business, and I was more than worried when he had that last batter in the 7th and over 120 pitches.

Okajima was like a suicide note. One innings fine - two was asking for trouble.

Enjoyed the day, stayed to the bitter end, and then had to pay $27 for parking (having driven out of a place charging $25 - we were forced into the expensive place). Loved the Fenway South t-shirts. 40K there last night - looked half full today.

Loads of pics, great time, and I am now 2-0 when watching the Orioles. Think I should write to them....

That was who I meant.... as the replay came on they cut away from the throw to first!

Now the ambition goes to seeing the Sox at Fenway. I turned it down three years ago as there was only one ticket available and I had my future wife with me (and we were stuffed at home by the Rockies), so I hope in the next couple of years to do that. Probably not back in the US until September next year. This has been an expensive break!